Historical Adam

The Genesis 1 narrative begins with the creation of the universe and culminates with God’s special creation of Adam and Eve. Historic Christianity holds that Adam and Eve were the first two humans, uniquely made in God’s image, and that all humanity has descended from them. The biblical genealogies (both Old and New Testament), Jesus’ teachings, and Paul’s epistles all refer to Adam as a real individual.

Genetic, linguistic and pathogen studies support a historical Adam and Eve. This research indicates that humanity arose 1) recently (within the last hundred thousand years or so), 2) at a single location (close to where Bible scholars place the Garden of Eden), and 3) from a small population, arguably as small as a single pair. Much scientific work remains to be done toward refining details, but ample evidence supports the historic Christian idea that all humanity descended from two historical persons, Adam and Eve.